If you’re seeking employment but haven’t had any luck thus far, perhaps it’s time to look into startups. New companies are hidden gems of opportunity, especially for young professionals who are entering the workforce. Before you go dismissing the idea entirely, check out the top four benefits of working for a startup.

1. Faster Upward Mobility

Because there are generally fewer employees at a startup, the opportunities for advancement are significantly increased. Factor in high turnover rates and you’ve got some great odds working in your favor. Sure, you may not be getting paid as much as you would at a major corporation, but in the long-term you’ll get to where you want to go a whole lot quicker.

2. Interaction with Leadership

When working for a startup, it’s not uncommon to see the CEO in office every day. Because startups are so small, it puts you in direct communication with the company’s top executives. In other words, you’ll have the opportunity to make your voice heard and wield some influence.

3. Your Work is Directly Impactful

Starting a company is not easy. That’s why launching a new product or service requires a great amount of effort on behalf of everyone involved. If you happen to snag a position at a startup, it means that your role is vital to the overall function of the organization. That often translates to incredibly fulfilling work, as you’ll feel valued and appreciated.

4. They’re Unstable

For some people, this is more of a con than it is a pro. But for those of us who prefer to live life on the edge, it’s incredibly exciting!

There are no guarantees when it comes to startups. The company can go under at any time, which either terrifies you or motivates you depending on the kind of person you are. The fact that you’re always walking a tight rope between employment and impending doom means that you have to stay on your A-game 100% of the time.

Tell me: have you ever worked for a startup? What was your experience like? Leave your thoughts in the comments below!

With the U.S. unemployment rate hitting a 16-year low, it’s important for Millennials to sharpen their interview skills, hone their resumes, and equip themselves with the best job searching tools available. Typical job sites like LinkedIn, Indeed, ZipRecruiter, and Glassdoor are all great places to start. But if you’re a recent graduate you might want to try WayUp, a job search startup aimed at Millennials.

Founded by recent University of Pennsylvania graduate Liz Wessel, WayUp is a platform that connects college students and recent graduates with job opportunities that fit their unique skill sets. WayUp’s Chief Technology Officer J.J. Fliegelman reported that since their launch in 2014, the site has registered 3.5 million user profiles. Wessel believes that the success of WayUp thus far has been rooted in their dedication to democratizing the job search. Wessel believes that this unique job searching platform could eliminate the “who you know” aspect of employment.

Registration is a simple process that takes less than five minutes. WayUp can link to your Facebook account or you can manually set up an account. A student or recent graduate then fills out personal information, their work experience, uploads their resume and photo, and even answers a fun fact about themselves. WayUp profiles are designed to frame a candidate’s experiences in relevant ways to hiring managers.

“A lot of employers just don’t realize that a year of working part-time during the school year is very valuable experience,” says Wessel.

Here’s how it works. WayUp matches users using machine-learning algorithms. The algorithms then crunch data to compare new members with similar users’ accounts. The application is a one-click process that is designed to provides hiring managers with candidates who would be a good fit.

Since WayUp focuses on non-traditional experience, this could give an edge to the younger demographic that companies are targeting. Millennials look at their careers thematically as opposed to other generations that had a more linear approach to professional growth. That’s why WayUp founder Liz Wessel believes that this new approach to job search will be the way of the future.

Many teens turn to the fast food industry when it’s time for their first summer job, and McDonald’s has found a way to reach this new crop of potential employees.

This week McDonald’s will be releasing a series of 10-second ads on Snapchat, aimed at teens who are looking for summer work. These ads will feature current employees talking about why they love their jobs, with the hope of enticing viewers to become its new batch of hirees. Jez Langhorn, a McDonald’s human resources executive, believes this is the best way to reach their target audience.

“As we see the younger generations seeking out their first jobs, we want to make them aware of the great opportunities available at McDonald’s,” Langhorn said in a statement.

McDonald’s plans on hiring 250,000 seasonal employees for jobs starting this month and ending in August–just in time for the new school year.

Clever advertising and intelligent marketing are just two of the reasons McDonald’s is one of the most ubiquitous companies in the world. It’s no surprise that McDonald’s is using the most popular social media platform with teens to engage them, especially one that comes with a catchy name: Snaplications.

“We thought Snaplications was a great way to allow us to meet job seekers where they are—their phones,” said Langhorn.

While some may say kids would have McDonald’s in their mind anyway, it’s still a very smart way of interacting with today’s teens and young adults. It’s also not entirely new.

McDonald’s began using Snapchat in Australia earlier this year (with positive results), and in keeping up with the online/social stratosphere, it’s looking to engage jobseekers on both Hulu and Spotify.

Job seekers are encouraged to find out more by going to McDonald’s website (via the Snaplication, of course) or any local restaurant.